Brigantine Elementary School

Brigantine Elementary School’s principal begins each year with an assembly to kick off a new chapter in Brigantine’s signature practice, Kindness is Contagious. During the following month, students receive logs to record their acts of kindness, with weekly awards for students who perform the most kind acts. Teachers, administrators, and parents recognize and reinforce these acts and Kindness awards are integrated into the school’s on-air student news program and PA announcements. In these ways, students’ altruistic behavior is reinforced. Brigantine initially created the program over a decade ago in response to new challenges and changing demographics. Since then, over 350,000 acts of kindness have been recorded and the program itself has been recognized as a model practice in character education and won numerous state and national recognitions and awards. The program has transformed the school and local community. Brigantine Elementary has been named the “Kindest School in New Jersey” for four years and the city of Brigantine has twice been selected as the “Kindest Place in New Jersey.”